Long Beach Airport has state's lowest average airfares again

LONG BEACH - Knowledgeable local travelers have recognized the Long Beach Airport tends to offer one of the more enjoyable travel experiences.

From its quaint art deco style to easy freeway access to abundant parking, manageable crowds and short security lines, it has been a go-to choice for travelers looking to escape the crush at Los Angeles International Airport.

What might be less known is Long Beach's affordability.

For the third straight quarter, the Long Beach facility has recorded the lowest average airfares in California and ranked No. 2 nationally, behind Atlantic City, N.J.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's latest quarterly report, the average round-trip domestic fare out of Long Beach was $229 in the final quarter of 2011. That ranks well below the national average of $368 over the same span.

Airport Director Mario Rodriguez said Long Beach's ability to provide low costs to its carriers is passed along to customers.

"Our primary focus is customer service, and keeping costs low is a part of that," Rodriguez said.

Long Beach also bucked a national airfare trend late last year by recording a 2 percent drop in fares, while national fares were rising by more than 2 percent for the quarter and 10 percent since the fourth quarter of 2010.

That doesn't mean a traveler will necessarily find the best deal flying out of Long Beach to one of its 14 destinations, the Department of Transportation report notes.

Cincinnati, Ohio and Houston/ Bush had the highest air fare averages at $504 and $494, respectively.

While Long Beach finished second to Atlantic City, it closed the gap, as the East Coast airport's average flight cost rose from $167 to $189 over the course of the quarter. Las Vegas was third at $267.

Rodriguez said Atlantic City and Las Vegas have casinos that subsidize flights, which keeps average costs down.

In a prepared statement, Mayor Bob Foster said: "There are a lot of great changes happening at the Long Beach Airport. ... But one thing that hasn't changed is that LGB is a very economical airport, with excellent service and a wide range of destinations."